ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE F
oodservice providers in Europe have been taking advantage of opportunities offered by AI and robotics, but legislation from the
European Union (EU) will for the first time regulate how the new technology is used. Te most visible technology is often
front of house – such as ‘Luigi’, a waistcoat- wearing server robot at a Michelin-starred restaurant in southwestern Germany – or AI-powered chatbots that speak different languages. But many other widely-used systems are making efficiencies. “AI in the form of automation
currently exists in restaurants today – used in the background to streamline and manage workflows – without taking away from the overall experience,” says Glenn Tait, product director at restaurant technology group Zonal. “AI is also playing a significant role
in analyzing and managing suppliers and inventory,” he says. “As it's not enough for operators to merely keep track of stock levels, AI is being used to take this a step further by forecasting, planning, and controlling inventory.” Tis allows restaurants to help
control food waste management, analyze kitchen operations, orders, portion sizes and provide real-time feedback to help minimize overordering. Some larger chains also use automated recruitment, in an industry that struggles with high staff turnover. While the adoption of AI tech has been
driven by large chains, the abundance of companies offering technological solutions has helped Europe to catch up. “Large chains have been able to
be a bit more advanced because they have not only the money but also the management capacity. In Europe, the share of independents and small chains is much bigger than in other areas. So that is why Europe is somewhat lagging behind North America or China,” explains Maria Castroviejo, senior analyst on the European consumer foods sector at Rabobank. “But you no longer need to buy a
“AI goes beyond machine learning, where the more data the processor receives, the better it can provide answers. Generative AI, on the other hand, involves processors that “appear to mimic human intelligence”
company or develop everything in-house – the number of companies that offer support services is immense.” As more restaurateurs use AI systems,
sweeping new regulations are about to become the world’s first concrete initiative for regulating the technology.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ACT
Te EU Artificial Intelligence Act is the first comprehensive law on AI by a major regulator, set to pass later this year and come into force by 2026. Te goal is to “balance innovation that
takes advantage of AI's promise while protecting fundamental rights,” according to the EU. Te regulation will assign AI
applications into three risk categories. Tese include an ‘unacceptable risk’, meaning the AI use is banned, such as the government- run AI social scoring system seen in China. Te second grading will be ‘high-risk’ – such >
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